Ship s capstan and windlass



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JAMES EMERSON, OF VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHIPS CAPSTAN AND WINDLASS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 15,123, dated June 17, 1856; Ressued January 12, 1864, No. 1,604.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JAMES EMERSON, of Vorcester, in the county of Iorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ships Capstans and VVindlasses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to t-he annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which* Figure 1, is a vertical section of my improvement, the plane of section being through the center. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3, is a top view of the capstan, the cap being removed. Fig. 4, is an inverted plan of the wheel or windlass.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding` parts in the several figures.

My improvement has reference to the windlass or capstans and consists of a novel construction and operation of the body of said capstan in connection with a friction strap or belt, which gives the capstan increased and advantageous facilities of action in the same compactness of deck space or thereabout as the ordinary capstan but combining the advantages of a double' capstan for joint or separate and controllable operation in a more advantageous manner than is obtained by other combined capstan and windless arrangements operating separately or conjointly as desired.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a portion of the deck of a vessel, and B, represents a circular plate fitted therein said plate having teeth or cogs (a) on its upper edge, as shown in Figs.` 1 and 2. To the center of the circular plate B, there is attached a vertical arbor C. The

plate B, and arbor C, are permanently attached to the deck A.

D, represents a hollow shaft which is fitted over or around the arbor O, and turns freely around it. To the lower end of the hollow shaft D, there is attached a circular plate E, which rests upon the plate B, the edge of the plate E, extending as far as the teeth or cogs (a.) on the plate B, see Fig. 1.

F, F, are pawls attached to the edge or periphery of the plate E, at opposite points,

see Fig. 1. These pawls are directly over the teeth or cogs on the plate B.

G, represents a capstan which is fitted on the hollow shaft D, and is secured thereto by a key (b) which fits in a vertical groove (c) in the shaft D, and in a. groove (d) in the inner side of the capstan G. The groove O, in the shaft D, extends through the plate E, as shown in Fig. 1. The capstan G, and hollow shaft D, always are connected, and consequently turn together on the arbor C.

I-I, represents a. grooved wheel which is placed loosely on the hollow shaft D,'

underneath the capstan Gr and may be said to form part of the body. The groove which is in the periphery of the wheel I-I, is of V-form and is provided with teeth or projections (c) between which the links of the cable catch. The wheel is connected to and detached from the shaft D, and capstan G, by means of th-e key (b) which has a projection (f) at its lower end, which projection when the key (2)) is raised, catches against projection (g) in a concave (71,) in the under side of the wheel H, see Figs. 1 and 4. In consequence of the projection (f) on the key catching against the projection the wheel H, will be connected, and turn wit-h the shaft D, and capstan G, but if the key (b) is allowed to descend the projection (f) will fall below the projections (g) and the wheel will be disconnected from the shaft D, and capstan G. The key (b) is retained in an elevated position by a wedge (L) which is fitted in the side of the capstan and when shoved inward passes under a projection (i) on the wedge.

The wheel I-I, properly is the windlass for the cable designated by I, passes around it, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The lower part of the wheel I-I, has a smooth periphery around which a metallic strap J, is fitted. One end of this is attached to a bar K, in which a small shaft L, is fitted and turns the lower end of this shaft having a pin (j) attached to it to which pin the opposite end of the strap is secured, see Fig. 4. The upper end of the shaft L, has a head (7c) upon it in which head an aperture (Z) is made to receive a bar for the purpose of turning the shaft L, and tightening the strap around the wheel H. The ends of the bar K, have upright projections one at each end which serve asl guides to the chains or cables, see Fig. 2.

The upper end of the capstan G, is cogged on its periphery a recess being made in the upper end of the capstan for that purpose and also to receive a plate M, which has a hollow shaft (a) lattached to its center, the shaft fitting around the arbor C. On the plate M, there are attached four uprights (o) on which pinions (p) work said pinions gearing into the teeth on the inner periphery of the capstan G.

-all termed a s rind.

N, is a metallic cap through the center of which the arbor C, passes, said cap has a pinion (Q) attached to the center of its under surface. This pinion gears into the pinions see Fig. 3.

From the above description it will be seen that if the key (b) is elevated the wheel or windlass H, will be'connected and turn with the shaft D, and capstan G. The key (o) is kept in an elevated state by the wedge (L) and the capstan G, is turned by levers inserted in holes made in its side to receive the levers, as usual. The gears or pinions (29) (Q) and cogged inner periphery of the capstan merely increase the power applied to the capstan G, and windlass or wheel H. The capstan G, is connected with the windlass or wheel H, when the cable is drawn up, and the strap J, is loosened by turning the Shaft IJ.

' By the above improvement vessels when at anchor may swing around with the greatest facility, by attaching a hawser (r) to the cable I, and to the capstan G, see Fig. 2. This hawser when thus applied is technic- By referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that if the capstan G, is turned so as to wind the hawser upon it, and if the strap J, 'is loosened upon the periphery of the wheel or windlass H, so as to allow the chain or cable I, to play out gradually as the hawser (r) is wound upon the capstan the vessel will be swung around as indicated in red and lthus working the ship, the friction strap or belt (J ),'it will be observed, applied to the loose portion of ally, easily and adjustably in relation to the f winding up of the spring or hawser (7') to effect the turning of the vessel in the least loss of space and with the greatest rapidity, which other arrangements have been more or less deficient in, and I further secure the advantage of thus operating the two lines from the center line of the vessel which a Vertical capstan vand horizontal windlass combined or a divided horizontal windlass cannot have, and my arrangement need occupy no more deck space than the ordinary capstan which the other arrangement I refer to of capstan and windlass combined cannot do and they present or form a far less eligible and compact device than does my improved capstan and an inferior mode of working, especially for large ships.

I claim nothing new, irrespective of the arrangement and operation together substantially as specified, of the parts of the capstan made to couple and uncouple at pleasure for joint or separate action as required; nor do I claim the application of a friction strap or belt to a windlass barrel. But

What I do claim as new and useful herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s- Y The double or divided capstan or windlass arranged for operation in the manner specified land consisting of an upper hand operative portion of the 4body or Acapstan proper (G) and under loose portion of said body(H) separately controllable by `friction strap (J), or `gearing at pleasure with the upper operative portion (G) of the body of the capstan as and for the purposes herein set forth.

.r JAMES EMERSON.

Witnesses J. G. MASON, IVM. TUscH.

[FIRST PRINTED 1912.] 

